The Climbers’ Club published two selective guidebooks of the South West. Further selective guides have been published under the label of Wired Guides a co-operative of UK definitive guidebook publishers including: the British Mountaineering Council, The Climbers’ Club, the Fell & Rock Climbing Club of the English Lake District, the Scottish Mountaineering Club, and the Yorkshire Mountaineering Club. Wired guidebooks aim to document the whole of the UK describing the very best, world-class rock climbing these beautiful green islands have to offer.
South West Climbs
PLEASE NOTE: The QR code for Gull Rock on Page 162 of Volume 2 IS CORRECT but Google map directions take you over private land.
To get to Gull Rock park considerately on the side of the road either at SS 2215 1759 near Mead or SS 2175 1692 near Marsland Manor (space for 2 or 3 cars at each). From both spots straightforward paths lead down to the beach at SS 2119 1742 (Marsland Mouth), from here boulder hop southwards to the crag.
To climb at Cornakey Cliff (Wreckers’ Slab (VS 4b) etc.) then park at Morwenstow next to the church.
There is no right of way from Cornakey Farm to the coast path.
Originally, South-West Climbs, published in 1979 by Diadem, was a single-volume publication and was a collaboration between one of the South West’s most prolific and important activists, Pat Littlejohn, and one of the most influential of British Publishers, Ken Wilson.
This rapidly became very popular and introduced many climbers to the joys and pleasures of the sometimes mysterious and occasionally remote south-west peninsula of England.
For this new and fully revised edition, the climbs of the South West have been split into two volumes.
Volume 1 is intended to showcase the area of Gloucestershire, Somerset and Dorset and act as an introduction to the area covered by several Climbers’ Club definitive guides of the area. It covers areas close to the centres of population such as the Avon Gorge, Wye Valley and Dorset. It has been written by a talented team of local activists.
Volume 2, covers the Granite of West Penwith, Dartmoor, the Channel Islands and Lundy – the guide also covers the North Cornish and North Devon coasts. Written by Pat Littlejohn with ‘a little help from his friends’ this new guide describes some of the most adventurous climbing to be found in the British Isles and together with its counterpart, South West Climbs: Volume 1 provides the visiting climber to the area a wealth of top-quality routes to go at.
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Northern Rock
Wired Guides’ book Northern Rock beautifully presents the best traditional climbing, sport climbing and bouldering in Yorkshire (grit and limestone), Northumberland, Lancashire, and the North York Moors. This bumper selection of over 3500 climbs and problems with detailed, accurate maps and full photo-diagram coverage has been carefully curated by dedicated local experts. A guidebook that will provide any climber with a massive resource of quality days out and inspiration for many more on top of that! Northern Rock is published by the Yorkshire Mountaineering Club, Northumbrian Mountaineering Club, Red Rose Rock, and the Cleveland Mountaineering Club.
Pembroke Rock
Pembroke Rock showcases over 1,050 climbs on the stunning cliffs of the South and North Pembrokeshire coasts. Produced by the definitive authority on Pembrokeshire guidebooks, Climbers’ Club Guides, it is the second in the Wired series and the first Wired Guide to be published by The Climbers’ Club.
Every crag can be referenced from an area and a local map which together with the clear photo diagrams ensure that choosing, finding and following a route is easy. The inspirational combination of Climbers’ Club Guides high quality, the striking Wired style and sensational action shots make this a truly breathtaking guide.
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Lake District Rock
The new edition of Lake District Rock covers the best that Lakeland has to offer the climber, it is the book of choice for visiting climbers. Published under the Wired brand by the FRCC this guidebook is the first of an exciting new series that will cover the whole of the United Kingdom.
Put simply, this new guidebook showcases the incredible diversity and world-class quality of Lakeland climbing delivered with full coverage using the latest photo-diagrams and illustrations in an ultra bright new and modern A5 format. Ranging from new sport-climbing venues and super-classic mountain crags to costal adventures and south facing sun-traps. We have included the lot.
Lake District Rock contains over 1,500 rock climbs on 85 crags. Featuring clear OS based mapping, crisp photo-diagram coverage for every crag and route, and sensational action and landscape images. The book’s colour scheme reflects the familiar FRCC colours making it easy to find and use each section: Langdale (red); Dow, Coppermines & Slate (orange); Duddon & Eskdale (silver); Scafell & Wasdale (purple); Gable & Pillar (yellow); Buttermere & St Bees (blue); Borrowdale (cyan); Eastern Crags (green); and Eden Valley & South Lakes Limestone (pink). The whole guidebook has received a thoroughly modern treatment, for example, Bramcrag Quarry has had a complete makeover with all of the recent sport-climbing developments fully featured.
This guidebook will inspire you to get out to the Lakeland crags!
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Peak District Grit
This blockbusting volume showcases the finest routes from all the BMC gritstone definitives and packs the classics from across the grades and across the Peak. From east to west, all the best.
The book covers everything trad – from Eastern royalty – Stanage, Froggatt, Curbar and Millstone – to the Western bastions – the Roaches, Ramshaw and Hen Cloud. From the cosy edges of the Burbage Valley to the wild heights of Kinder, Bleaklow and the Chew Valley. Fifty crags, 2,500 trad routes. It’s a lifetime of inspiration.
Lakes Sport & Slate
Lakes Sport & Slate covers all the worthwhile sports crags in Cumbria and conveniently nearby Lancashire. Four rock types are documented: Limestone, Sandstone, Slate, and Micro-Granite. Alongside the sports climbing, protected by fixed equipment, all of the traditionally protected slate climbs are detailed.
Coverage extends from Warton Main Quarry near Carnforth in the south west, to St Bees in West Cumbria, and Coudy Rocks near Appleby in the north east. The nationally important climbing at Chapel Head Scar are all detailed. Plus all of the latest developments at:
- Scout Scar – over a dozen lower graded – F4 to F6b+ new routes
- Runestone Quarry – with over 30 easier climbs all newly bolted in this once esoteric venue are now brought bang up to date, and
- the massively popular Bramcrag Quarry – included in full definitive detail with over 190 climbs, over half of which are in the F5 to F6a grade range.
Thus providing the most comprehensive update for over 25 years.
Then, and possibly a first for any formal guidebook publishing, the dry-tooling crucibles of:
- The Works, and
- Bakestone Quarry are covered in all their spiky details.
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South Wales Rock
Joint publication between the Climbers’ Club and South Wales Climbing Wiki (SWCW)
From the Brecon Beacons through The Valleys and onto the Coast by Matt Woodfield, Alan Rosier, Roy Thomas and Tim Hoddy.
This guide contains 1500 of the best routes in South Wales. With Limestone escarpments overlooking the mountains, hidden Sandstone quarries for your first steps climbing outside or projecting hard classics, and sea cliffs offering either a big adventure or pleasant day out, it’s hard to beat the variety of climbing on offer.
Featuring trad routes from Diff. to E6, sport routes from to F4 to F8a+, bouldering and Deep Water Solos, all made easy to find with topos & maps and packed full of inspirational photos throughout.
This is a guide book like no other, a hybrid guide that combines the convenience of a select book with the completeness of a comprehensive guide. We’ve tucked into these pages the best climbing this area has to offer, with links to the South Wales Climbing Wiki that records everything else that’s been climbed. This means no more compromises on book size or information volume and when new routes get put up and old ones fall down, the Wiki will keep you up to date and in the know.
Download sample pages – Sirhowy
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Scottish Rock Climbs
Scottish Mountaineering Press says: Wired Guides’ Scottish Rock Climbs showcases 1,760 of the very best trad and sport routes across Scotland, covering a wealth of climbing never before presented in a single volume. Its breadth and scope takes in the Galloway hills, the outcrops of the Central and North-West Highlands, the mountain ranges of Arran, the Cairngorms, Glen Coe, Lochaber, Torridon, Assynt and Sutherland, as well as the sea-cliffs of the north-east and north-west coasts, the Hebrides and the Northern Isles, and historical urban test-pieces at Dumbarton. Each of the routes is shown on a diagram and supported by detailed information gathered and compiled by local activists. It’s the book you need to inspire a lifetime’s worth of rock climbing adventure in Scotland.
Read full review here.
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